Wei Lan and Xie Zichen fought for a while, and the next day, Wei Lan took people to Xie's house to hire. Although Xie Jue had already made preparations, Xie Jue's whole heart collapsed when he saw Wei Lan carrying the big and small boxes in, and Wei Lan came up to him with a smile and called out "my father-in-law".
He didn't want to talk to the man who was going to marry his son, but he had to talk to him, holding back all his thoughts and being courteous to Wei Lan, who was desperately trying to please his "father-in-law".
Wei Lan has always felt that she is an excellent woman. If she were placed in Daliang, she would be the perfect daughter-in-law in the hearts of all her father-in-law. There is no family who does not desperately want to marry her. But she never expected that when she was really planning to marry a man, she would be so disgusted by the other man's father—even if Xie Jue didn't show it on his face, he couldn't hide his emotions at all.
Xie Jue hated her, and also hated this marriage. But this is Xie Zichen's father, and Wei Lan is still desperately trying to please him.
So when Ran Mo ordered people to carry things, Wei Lan realistically asked Ran Mo to carry another box of gold to the warehouse.
Wei Lan did not tell Xie Zichen about this box of gold. When drinking tea with Xie Jue, Wei Lan said with emotion: "I came here today. In addition to my appointment, I also brought some gifts for Mr. Xie. Thank you, Mr. Xie. Thank you for your kindness in nurturing me for so many years."
Xie Jue's hand froze as he drank his tea. He felt that he was probably the first person in the aristocratic circle of Great Chu who could answer "what is it like to marry a son". He resisted the urge to get angry, and responded, pretending nothing happened. He promised Xie Zichen to give Wei Lan some face, so he wouldn't do too much. Seeing that Xie Jue responded so lightly, Wei Lan couldn't hold back anymore, so she could only say dryly with Ran Mo: "Bring it up."
After Ran Mo responded, the servants carried a box in, Xie Jue raised his eyelids, and saw the servants open the lid of the box.
gold.
The whole box was full of gold bars. Xie Jue didn't even need to count them to understand that the gold could definitely cover their second wife's five-year expenses.
Xie Jue couldn't help being slightly taken aback, his eyes were glued to the gold, and he looked straight. Wei Lan was very satisfied with his reaction, and said cautiously: "Master Xie, although I don't know how much this gift is, it is also Wei Lan's heart. Please accept it with a smile, Sir Xie."
"Is this... for me?" Xie Jue was stunned for a moment. Usually, to marry a son, ah bah, to marry a daughter, isn't it all right for the other family to hire someone? And a separate gift
"Of course it is." Wei Lan nodded and said respectfully: "Although I have been an official in the same court as Master Xie for many years, but this is the first time I come to see Master Xie as a partner of a subject, of course I have to bring a meeting gift. It is the younger generation's respect for the elders, the courtesy is light and the affection is heavy, and I hope Sir Xie will not be offended."
"How can this gift be considered light? It's obviously too heavy." Although Xie Jue wanted to pounce on the box, he still put on airs and said, "It's not the first time we've met you. No, you can carry the box back."
"It's Ah Lan being reckless," Wei Lan apologized, and said sincerely, "Ah Lan doesn't know what Mr. Xie likes. After thinking about it, I think these vulgar things are more realistic. I never thought that Mr. Xie is so virtuous. These things are damaged. Master Xie’s integrity is A Lan’s fault. But A Lan did not prepare any other gifts today, and I hope Master Xie will forgive me for being young and accept this box of gold bars as an ordinary gift.”
Xie Jue quietly listened to Wei Lan's words, and his heart was already sweating. He just wanted to say that if Wei Lan really took back the money, he would have no place to cry. As soon as Wei Lan finished speaking, he said with a sullen face: "You have said so, if I still insist on not wanting it, then I will sweep Wei Xiang's face. Then I will take it away, Wei Xiang will do it next time. Don't send such expensive things."
"My lord Xie is coming down to Mount Tai, my lord. I still feel that this little vulgar thing is rare, so how can it be considered precious?" Wei Lan raised her fan, pointed towards the east, and opened her mouth, "Pearls from the east, spices from the west. No matter how good things are in the world, father-in-law can enjoy them. Mere gold and silver are nothing."
Xie Jue: "..."
This is a good pretend.
However, for some reason, when Wei Lan was talking like this, the annoyance of marrying a son disappeared. Marriage of a son has always been a costly matter, and there has never been any family whose son has been married and can earn as much money as he does.
As a result, Xie Jue's attitude towards Wei Lan suddenly changed, and he began to chat with Wei Lan. The two of them didn't have much to talk about, and Xie Zichen was the one who talked the most. Wei Lan was very curious about what Xie Zichen was like when he was a child, but Xie Jue seemed a little embarrassed when he mentioned his childhood. Content.
"He was quite naughty when he was young..." Few people discussed Xie Zichen with Xie Jue in this way. Xie Jue couldn't help searching his mind for the memory of Xie Zichen, but his memory of Xie Zichen was too shallow. This bastard he ignored, The sense of existence in the past is too low. So he could only talk about all the little things he remembered: "When I was young, I talked a lot, and I liked to make troubles. I often fought with his brother, and he was always fighting for words. He was not worrying. Later, I went to the river to catch him. I caught fish and was imprisoned for a few days, and then I behaved. Since then, I don’t like to talk much... "
Xie Jue recalled with difficulty. Wei Lan didn't speak. With Xie Jue's attitude, it was easy to guess what kind of life Xie Zichen lived when he was a child. Wei Lan couldn't help but sketched Xie Zichen's appearance when he was a child, a thin and small person, his mother died young, and he desperately wanted his father's love, so he desperately fought for it.
She didn't know what was going on, and her heart ached. After the appointment was completed according to the etiquette, she sat in the carriage returning home, still feeling depressed and sad. So she simply went to Xie Zichen's mansion and went directly to find him.
It was late at night, and Xie Zichen had already washed up and was writing the memorial. Wei Lan came in coldly, he raised his head, and said with gentle eyes: "Are you back? Is everything going well?"
Wei Lan didn't speak, she walked quickly to Xie Zichen, hugged him in her arms, and leaned against his chest. Xie Zichen was a little surprised, frowned, and said, "Who in the Xie family got mad at you?"
"No." Wei Lan's voice was muffled, Xie Zichen felt relieved, and continued, "Then what's wrong?"
Wei Lan wanted to speak, and wanted to ask him if he was sad when he was young. But when the words came to her lips, she couldn't speak again.
This happened many years ago. For Xie Zichen, it was about thirty or forty years ago. After such a long time, he probably didn't care about it long ago. Speaking of it, it only added to the sadness. . So she was bored in her heart for a long time, and finally said: "It's nothing, I just want to hug you."
Xie Zichen laughed lowly, and ran his fingers through her hair. She smelled this person's breath, and her heart gradually settled down. Xie Zichen saw that her mood had finally improved, so he called someone to come in to prepare water, pushed her and said, "Go wash up."
Wei Lan responded in a low voice, and went to the bathroom to take a shower. When he came out, Xie Zichen had already put away all the memorials and was sitting on the bed waiting for her. After the two got together, Xie Zichen didn't like to disturb Wei Lan's sleep. The bathroom set a fixed office time every day, and every time he rushed to finish everything before that time, and then spent the rest of the time with Wei Lan. Lan. Wei Lan's affairs are much less than his, so she is more relaxed.
After she sat on the bed, he dried her hair with a towel, bowed his head and kissed her, and said gently, "I'm asleep."
Wei Lan responded and lay down on the bed. After Xie Zichen fell asleep with his eyes closed, Wei Lan opened his eyes and looked at this person quietly.
He must have suffered a lot when he was a child.
Wei Lan thought about it, compared to the time when she was a child surrounded by stars, she couldn't help but feel a little sad. If she could get to know him earlier, if they could meet in Daliang, she would treat him well and never let anyone bully him like this.
Xie Zichen felt her gaze, turned over, stretched out his hand and pulled her closer to his arms, and said seriously: "Alan, what's the matter, tell me, or I will be worried, huh?"
"Today, I chatted with your father about your childhood."
Wei Lan finally opened her mouth, leaned on his hand, approached his chest, listened to his steady heartbeat, and stated as calmly as possible: "He told me that you were also a very talkative person when you were young, but after falling into the water once, you I don’t like to talk much anymore, why?”
"This matter..." Xie Zichen said casually, as if he didn't think it was a big deal, and said calmly: "When I was young, I was ignorant and always wanted my father to pay more attention to me. He would look at me a few more times. It wasn’t actually falling into the water that time. It was winter, a kind of whitebait unique to my father’s emerald lake, but this kind of fish was hard to catch in winter, so he couldn’t eat it. I listened to him After talking about it a few times, I wanted to show off, so I told him that I could catch this fish, and he joked with me, saying that if I really could catch this fish, he would give me a windmill he folded himself.”
"He has folded that kind of windmill for my brother several times. I have seen it and I have always wanted it. So I took the opportunity to go to Cuihu Lake, squatting on the ice, and used many methods to catch the middle fish. Finally, I caught the fish. I caught one, but because I was too small, the fish dragged me into the lake..." Xie Zichen couldn't help laughing: "When I fell into the water, my first thought was to catch this fish, so I kept on trying to catch it. When I caught the fish and rescued me, I went ashore together with the fish. I went back with the fish, thinking that my father would make me a windmill, but my father completely forgot about it and took me to the windmill. Locked in the woodshed."
"I was imprisoned in wet clothes. I had a high fever in the firewood room. I was alone in it, cold and hungry. It happened to be the birthday of the owner of the house, and Xie's family was very busy. Everyone forgot that I was still in the firewood room. I thought I would die in it... Fortunately, on the third day, someone finally remembered me, and a servant carried me out."
"From then on, I knew that my father didn't care about me. No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, my father would never look at me. For him, the most important advantage I need is probably not to cause trouble Be nice. So I stopped talking so much and pretended that I was not in this home, reading, eating, and studying quietly."
Wei Lan listened to him quietly, hugging him tighter and tighter, a deep sense of powerlessness swept over her, she buried her face in his chest, and said seriously: "Zichen, I will make you happy of."
Xie Zichen was slightly stunned, and then saw Wei Lan raised his head, looked at him seriously and said, "Zichen, in this life, I will never let you be wronged."
Xie Zichen laughed lightly, and he didn't know what was going on in his heart. He was filled with endless tenderness and emotion. Loving someone and being loved by someone is probably the same. Even if he hated or feared the world, he would be extremely grateful at that moment. , what the world has done to you. Because all of this made you who you are today, and that person fell in love with who you are today.
Because I am loved by you, there is no fear, no bitterness, no doubt.
Xie Zichen hugged her and said gently: "Fool, it's all over. I don't care anymore."
Wei Lan didn't speak, she didn't say a word.
"Oh," Xie Zichen remembered, "my father didn't make things difficult for you, did he?"
"At first I didn't have a good attitude," Wei Lan thought for a while, and said honestly, "Later, I gave him some gifts, and my attitude improved."
"Gift?" Xie Zichen asked suspiciously, "What did you give?"
"A box of gold bars."
Xie Zichen: "..."
After a while, Xie Zichen said decisively: "I'll go back tomorrow!"
"No... no need..." Wei Lan felt that she couldn't hold back her face. How could there be any reason for her lord to return the things she gave to her father-in-law
Xie Zichen thought about it, and felt that the money was really not worth asking for, so he could only solemnly warn Wei Lan: "Don't give Xie's family any more money in the future!"
Wei Lan nodded quickly, and Xie Zichen was satisfied at this point. He took away the hand holding her, closed his eyes and said, "Go to sleep."
The two fell asleep, and Wei Lan went to find Xie Jue the next day, Xie Jue was a little confused, Wei Lan just came to the door yesterday, what is she doing today
Wei Lan also felt a little embarrassed, and felt that the reason for her visit was a little naive, but she still insisted: "Well, Mr. Xie, I came today to ask for something."
"Please speak, Minister Wei."
"Well, I heard you make a very fancy windmill..."
Xie Jue: "..."
How did Wei Lan know that a nobleman of his age can make windmills? It must be the little bastard Xie Zichen!
Xie Jue felt that he couldn't hold back his face, and waited for Wei Lan's ridicule with a straight face. In the end, Wei Lan said respectfully, "Master Xie, can you teach me?"
Xie Jue: "..."
This is really an unexpected hobby of Wei Xiangye.
Wei Lan learned windmills from Xie Jue for a day, and Xie Zichen was busy at home counting the dowry gifts. The amount Wei Lan hired him was huge, and since he had promised Wei Lan that she would have ten miles of red makeup, he absolutely had to do it.
Back then, when he thought that he and Wei Lan had no future, he thought that all the betrothal gifts sent to Changxinhou's mansion must come from Xie Zichen, and he borrowed 20,000 taels from Lin Xia. Now that he personally hired him, he naturally couldn't neglect it.
He almost counted all the funds in all the shops under his name and moved them out. Xie Tong was a little worried and said: "Young master, you are sending all your belongings..."
"Marrying a daughter-in-law naturally costs a little money." Xie Zichen said with a flat face: "You haven't seen that ordinary people marry a wife and sometimes go bankrupt for the sake of getting a job. How can an outstanding person like A Lan want to marry her without going bankrupt?" worthy of her identity?"
"But son," Xie Tong curled his lips and said, "I didn't think you married Wei Shizi."
"Nonsense!" Xie Zichen corrected his expression: "Who will be the groom's official on the wedding day? It's me!"
"My lord," Xie Tong said realistically, "are you sure the child's surname is Xie?"
Xie Zichen: "..."
Not sure at all.
But who wants to think about such a distant question? Isn't the top priority to bring back his wife!
Seeing Xie Zichen's appearance, Xie Tong knew what he meant, sighed, shook his head, said nothing, and went to take inventory.
Xie Zichen breathed a sigh of relief, a little depressed, and after a while, Wei Lan's voice came back home. He heard footsteps from a long distance, and then heard Wei Lan's voice calling him: "Zichen!"
She seemed very happy, as if it had become a big deal, Xie Zichen turned his head and was about to ask, when he saw a windmill in her hand.
He was too familiar with the shape of the windmill. When he was young, it was something he was willing to exchange with his life.
Xie Zichen stood there in a daze, Wei Lan walked up to him holding the windmill and put the windmill in his hand.
"Zichen, I have learned how to make a windmill," she said seriously, "If you want a windmill in the future, can I help you make it?"
Xie Zichen didn't speak, he just stared blankly at the windmill turning gently in the night wind.
This was his youthful obsession, his resentment towards Xie's family, his love and hatred towards his father, seemed to disappear in this instant.
He always thought that after more than thirty years, he actually didn't care about it, but it wasn't until this minute that he realized that he had finally come out of the past.
Meeting someone who loves him and giving him love, he finally understands the feeling of being loved.
Once you have seen the sun, you know when to leave the darkness.
He opened his mouth and said hoarsely: "Okay."
"Whatever you want in the future, I will realize it." Wei Lan said softly, took his hand, and said solemnly: "Zichen, I will always love you so much in my life."
He can't speak, he has countless words. He also wants to say that he is like this, and he is like this.
But he couldn't say it, but his eyes were red, like a child, holding the windmill in one hand, and being led by the man in the other, he said slowly: "Okay."
When Xie Zichen was seriously preparing to be hired by Chang Xinhou's mansion, Rong Hua was already preparing to leave.
Rong Ji was brought into the palace and became a beauty. This is a woman specially trained by Rong Hua, an emperor like Su Bai can't bear such beauty at all. If it weren't for her status as the princess of the enemy country, it would not be impossible to directly become a noble concubine after entering the palace.
The day before Rong Hua left, Wang Xi returned drunk with a group of friends. When he was walking alone in the dark, someone stopped the carriage suddenly.
"who?"
Wang Xi yelled loudly, Rong Hua's voice sounded, and said with a low smile, "Wang Shangshu."
Wang Xi's mind suddenly came to his senses. He found that the two brothers and sisters liked to look for him very much, so he said coldly, "Your Highness Rong Hua, what are you looking for?"
"I want to discuss a deal with Wang Shangshu. I wonder if I can get in the carriage and talk about it?"
"No need," Wang Xiguo said, "Your Majesty and Your Highness, there is nothing to talk about."
"Master Wang, don't you want to have a chat with His Majesty Rong Ji?"
Hearing this, Wang Xi's face turned cold, and Rong Hua said with a low smile: "With me as a shield, Xie Zichen and Wei Lan thought that Rong Ji was able to find Xie Zichen because of my help and indulgence, so they didn't suspect that Mr. Wang was killed. Come on, Mr. Wang is very happy, isn't he?"
"Although I'm ready to burn jade and rock together, and I know that the relationship between the two parties is irreconcilable, but at this moment, Mr. Wang is not ready to turn against them, is he?"
"Come up."
Wang Xi spoke coldly, and footsteps could be heard outside. A moment later, Rong Hua raised the curtain and stepped into the carriage.
"What business are you going to do?"
"Does Wang Shangshu know that Mr. Xie is going to marry Miss Changxinhou's Biao?" Rong Hua suddenly changed the subject.
"Know."
"Since then, the relationship between the two has become even more unbreakable, and the situation of the Wang family has become more and more difficult, right?"
"What does this have to do with Your Highness?"
"I want Youzhou."
When Rong Hua opened his mouth, Wang Xi was stunned, and then sneered: "You think I would do such a thing for selfish gain?!"
"Wang Shangshu," Rong Hua said with a long voice and a smile, "This is no longer the era of gentlemen."
"I only want a Youzhou, and cutting out a Youzhou will not have any impact on the power of your Wang family. But you and I should cooperate from the inside out, and I guarantee that Xie Zichen and Wei Lan will fall. If they fall, the Wang family will You, with the current empress, do you still worry about the future of the Wang family?"
"The Wang family has always been the largest family, with talents coming out in large numbers. Now, except for one Xie Zichen, the Xie family is vulnerable. As long as Xie Zichen is gone, the Xie family will no longer be afraid. This is especially true for the Changxinhou Mansion. Wei Lan died. , the Changxinhou Mansion completely collapsed. From then on, Wang Jiaan sat on the position of the No. 1 nobleman in Chu, and you no longer have to worry about the family's future."
"Actually, let's think about it a little bit more, Mr. Wang, what does Youzhou have to do with you? What does the world have to do with you? The power you hold in your hands is real, and everything else is just a false name, isn't it? "
Wang Xi didn't speak. Under the moonlight, Rong Hua's expression was calm and indifferent. The two seemed to be chatting rather than doing something important to his family and life.
Finally, Wang Xi smiled, and said helplessly, "I don't quite understand, why do you brothers and sisters come to me every time you do this kind of thing?"
"Why?"
Rong Hua laughed lowly, put his finger on Wang Xi's chest, and said gently: "Because, your heart is broken."